Auto Parts/Speed shop experience!!

[toofun]

Well I have been thinking of broadening my horizons and am looking to venture into something I love...AUTO PARTS!! I know of one maybe two speed shops in the area but none around my general area. I have been around fast cars all my life and have a great love of buying and selling parts but am now looking to maybe open an auto parts/speed shop parts store. I also plan to sell on line and have a web page as well. Anyone currently doing this now and have some advice on how to go about it? Positives? Negatives? Any input would be great.

Thanks
Mark

[rob07002]

I have no advice to offer, but wish you best of luck. It's a dream of mine to one day have my own biz. I've been looking into opening a car wash for years.

My only initial thought, is in seeling speed parts it would be damn near impossible to compete with a Jegs or Summit on price. Food for thought.

[camcojb]

Owning my own speed shop was my dream also, and in the early 80's I did own one for a few years.

I survived on customer service as I could not buy well enough to compete with the big speed shops in my town, who were direct with the manufacturers. You'll face the same even if there are no other speed shops, as they've been replaced with Summit Racing, Jegs, etc. I made a living, but not enough to continue doing it, so I closed the shop.

To survive nowadays you need something more I think. Whether that be a dyno with a great tuner, or a machine shop, install shop, something to keep the people coming in, something without a lot of good competition in the area.

Don't laugh, I thought the beard was cool in the day!



Jody

[MrQuick]

check with keystone, they have a great program. but yes, i agree, you need a good customer base to compete with summit and jegs.

A parts and installation center would be a good way to sell.

[zbugger]

Talk with Musclerodz and gmachinz on this site. They both have started a similar venture to what you're wanting to do. They should have good advice for you on getting started.

[MuscleRodz]

Good luck, it is a hard market to break into. The problem is Summit and Jeg's because they are price protected by the $50K buy-ins they are able to do that gives them the deep discounts no one else can touch. Customer service is what sells in today's market.

Mike

[toxicz28]

check with keystone,

Stay away from Keystone. The wife's brother works in a parts store, his cost is more than what Summit sells for.
FYI Summit has a wholesale program. Might be worth it to check into that.

[CraigMBA]

I think you should look around closer. Fewer and fewer people do DIY auto repair anymore. Look at the chains - they are full of accessories, and few parts.

If you sincerely want to go this route, I suggest you buy an already established parts store. I wish you the best of luck.

[Steve68]

Even with the beard Jody, I would have bought parts from you, back then! Nowadays, they would have closed you down for looking like a pedophile,

[toofun]

Thanks for the advice guys...I really appreciate it. I know what you mean about Jegs and Summit. One speed shop I know of about 4 towns away uses JEGS catalogs to price their parts!! I dont know how they do it but they must have a way around it. Their saving grace is that they dont charge for shipping and you can pick it up the same day... Anyways, I also have been looking into a franchise auto parts store cause everyone in my town has to drive 12-15 miles away in traffic areas to get to a parts store just to get oil and filters!!

Only franchise store I see is NAPA... Auto Zone, Advanced Auto Parts, and Pep Boys all are not franchises. Unless I am missing someone? Anyone know of a franchise auto parts store??

MARK

[rob07002]

I like the dyno idea. If you had a good wheel dyno and someone who can tune via laptop, it would make your shop/store a very compelling place to visit.

"buy this performance part, you install or we install and then jump on the dyno to see results for a nominal fee" NICE!

[BonzoHansen]

IMO, to do a speedshop deal well these days, you need to install - and know the tuner market - them ricers spend cash (or whatever the current thing is - like vans in the 70s).

Sadly, I feel the mom & pop type speed shops are past us. As much as people talk, they like the cheap, so you need an additional hook to bring them in.

Install exhaust kits, rims, tires, etc. If you get deeper into mods, then you need a few good wrenches, and be able to pay them.

Mark, where are you located?

[Tom Welch]

I have pondered a similar thing for a while also, I believe that a repair shop that sells and installs performance parts for whatever rolls in as well as routine services and maintenance will do mostly the routine stuff for its bread and butter, and the performance work for dessert. A dyno would draw the performance oriented customer to you, you wont make diddly on parts, but you can make up for it with good service and installation/tuning of said parts.